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Once again, Nebraska rallies for win

 
Nebraska linebackers Will Compton, top, and David Santos go after the ball Penn State tight end Matt Lehman, left, fumbles into the end zone. Nebraska safety Daimion Stafford gets it.
Nebraska linebackers Will Compton, top, and David Santos go after the ball Penn State tight end Matt Lehman, left, fumbles into the end zone. Nebraska safety Daimion Stafford gets it.
Published Nov. 11, 2012

LINCOLN, Neb. — For the second straight week and fourth time this season, No. 18 Nebraska overcame a double-digit second-half deficit to win.

It came from 14 points down Saturday to beat Penn State 32-23. Taylor Martinez threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Turner early in the fourth quarter for Nebraska's first lead.

The Huskers were in danger of losing control of the Big Ten's Legends Division after Michigan beat Northwestern earlier. Nebraska and Michigan are tied with two games left. Nebraska won the teams' matchup.

The Huskers made up double-digit deficits in the second half to beat Wisconsin, Northwestern and Michigan State earlier this season.

"I wish we'd get a lead (early)," Martinez said. "But once we realize we're down by that many points, we have to start picking it back up."

After blowing a 20-6 lead Penn State looked ready to regain the lead. But after catching a short pass on second and goal from the 3-yard line, tight end Matt Lehman lost the ball. Officials ruled he fumbled into the end zone before the ball crossed the goal line. Safety Daimion Stafford, whose interception set up Nebraska's tying touchdown, pounced on it, and the call was confirmed on video review.

"We're not going to get that call here," Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin said. "We're not going to get that call ever, actually, against any team. It doesn't matter who the refs are. It's us against the world, and we're not going to get those calls in these types of games."

Allergy can't stop Trojans star receiver

LOS ANGELES — Marqise Lee showed up 45 minutes before kickoff with swollen cheeks and irritated eyes from an allergic reaction. Then he caught 10 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown to help No. 21 USC bounce back from consecutive losses with a 38-17 victory over Arizona State.

Lee caught an 80-yard touchdown during his seventh 10-catch day of the season. He said doctors haven't determined the cause of his periodic allergic reactions.

"I just have flareups," said Lee, who got ice on his face before the game and IV fluids at halftime. "I've got to figure it out. I didn't let it affect me out there, though."

No. 14 Oklahoma 42, Baylor 34: Landry Jones threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, and Damien Williams ran for 99 yards and two scores for the host Sooners. Coach Bob Stoops' 146th win moved him past Bud Wilkinson for second in school history. He sits 11 wins behind Barry Switzer. Backup QB Blake Bell, who plays in short-yardage situations, scored on a 55-yard keeper to make it 42-26 46 seconds into the fourth.

No. 16 Stanford 27, No. 13 Oregon St. 23: Kevin Hogan threw three touchdown passes, including the winner with 5:07 left, in his first start for the host Cardinal. The sophomore, who replaced inconsistent Josh Nunes, was 22-of-29 for 254 yards. Down 23-20, Stanford recovered quarterback Cody Vaz's fumble at the Beavers' 29-yard line. Six plays later, Hogan audibled out of a run and called "Special," which Stanford ran to convert a fourth and 9 in an overtime win against Arizona this season. He then hit tight end Zach Ertz for a 13-yard touchdown.

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No. 19 La. Tech 62, Texas St. 55: Kenneth Dixon ran for four touchdowns to set the NCAA freshman record for the visiting Bulldogs. Dixon's 24 touchdowns are three more than San Diego State's Marshall Faulk in 1991 and Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams in 2009. The Bobcats were outgained 627-577. But Colby Cameron reached 419 consecutive passes without an interception, breaking the NCAA record of 379 set by N.C. State's Russell Wilson in 2008.

No. 19 Texas 33, Iowa St. 7: David Ash passed for 364 yards and two touchdowns for the host Longhorns. Texas put up 609 yards of offense (222 on the ground) and held the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Ash was 15-of-16 for 245 yards. His 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Barrett Matthews made it 20-0.

No. 25 Texas Tech 41, Kansas 34 2 OT: Running back Eric Stephens took the snap out of the wildcat and threw a 3-yard jump pass to Darrin Moore to win it for the host Red Raiders. The Jayhawks lost their 19th straight Big 12 game. Texas Tech entered 18th in I-A in total defense, allowing an average 314 yards per game. But it gave up 419 and let the Jayhawks to rally from a 27-17 fourth-quarter deficit.

Nation: Badgers clinch

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Montee Ball and James White combined for 359 of Wisconsin's school-record 564 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 62-14 win over Indiana that put the Badgers in the Big Ten title game.

Ball had 198 yards, and his three touchdowns moved him past Texas' Ricky Williams for second in Division I-A history. His 77 are one fewer than Travis Prentice of Miami (Ohio).

Wisconsin is 4-2 in the Big Ten but is in the title game because Ohio State and Penn State are ineligible due to NCAA penalties. It plays Nebraska or Michigan on Dec. 1 in Indianapolis.

Michigan 38, N'western 31 OT: Devin Gardner, starting for injured quarterback Denard Robinson, ran for a 1-yard touchdown in overtime, then the host Wolverines held on to win it. Gardner's 53-yard pass to Roy Roundtree set up Brendan Gibbons' tying 26-yard field goal with two seconds left. Robinson missed his second game with nerve damage in his right elbow.

Minnesota 17, ILLINOIS 3: Donnell Kirkwood ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead 3-yarder in the third, for the visiting Golden Gophers.

Purdue 27, Iowa 24: Paul Griggs' 46-yard field goal as time expired ended the visiting Boilermakers' five-game skid.

Okla. St. 55, West Va. 34: Clint Chelf, in his first career start, threw for 292 yards and four TDs for the host Cowboys.

Boise St. 49, Hawaii 14: Joe Southwick threw three TDs for the visiting Broncos, who had six sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

UMass 22, Akron 14: The visiting Minutemen had four interceptions to earn their first win as a I-A program. UMass, which moved up from I-AA, left 0-10 Southern Miss behind as the last winless I-A team.

Bowl projections

Beef O'Brady's: Dec. 21, St. Petersburg, 7:30 p.m., Big East vs. C-USA

Projection: xxxxx

Outback: Jan. 1, Tampa, 1 p.m., SEC vs. Big Ten

Projection: xxxxx

Capital One: Jan. 1, Orlando, 1 p.m., SEC vs. Big Ten

Projection: xxxxx

Rose: Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif., 5 p.m., BCS vs. BCS

Projection: xxxxx

Orange: Jan. 1, Miami, 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS

Projection: xxxxx

Sugar: Jan. 2, New Orleans, 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS

Projection: xxxxx

Fiesta: Jan. 3, Glendale, Ariz., 8:30 p.m., BCS vs. BCS

Projection: xxxxx

BCS Championship: Jan. 7, Miami, 8:30 p.m., BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2

Projection: xxxxx

* — Fills in as an at-large replacement where a conference is short on bowl-eligible teams.

See sports.tampabay.com for projections of all 35 bowls.

Jim Tomlin, Times staff writer